In private industry, employer compensation costs
averaged $26.76 per hour worked. Wages and salaries
averaged $18.91 per hour (70.6%), while benefits averaged
$7.86 (29.4%). The average cost for health benefits was
$1.92 per hour worked (7.2% of total compensation) in
March 2008. This is up from $1.41, or 6.3% of total
compensation, in March 2003.

Among occupational groups, employer costs for
health benefits ranged from 90 cents per hour and 6.8% of
total compensation for service workers to $2.77 and 5.8%
of total compensation for management, professional, and
related occupations. Employer costs for health benefits
were significantly higher for union workers, averaging
$3.95 per hour (10.9%), than for nonunion workers,
averaging $1.68 (6.5%).